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The Grains Requirements for the Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and

School Breakfast Programs

USDA Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service

October 19, 2012

Ann Hall, MRE, RD, LDN, CDE, CNSC Nutritionist

Background

  The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 required USDA to update the school meal patterns and nutrition standards

  2009 IOM Report-School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children   http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12751

  For additional information on the Final Rule, please visit the FNS Nutrition Standards for School Meals Webpage   www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/Legislation/

nutritionstandards.htm

Meal Patterns for NSLP and SBP

  Quantities of grains based on ounce equivalencies (oz eq) in a manner that is consistent with the DGAs and the USDA food guidance system known as MyPlate.

  Amount of foods included in the meal pattern were determined through extensive review and assessment to meet 24 nutrient targets.

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Breakfast Meal Pattern

Breakfast Meal Pattern  

Grades K-5   Grades 6-8   Grades 9-12  

Meal Pattern   Amount of Fooda Per Week (Minimum Per Day)  

Fruits (cups)b   5  (1)  e     5  (1)  e     5  (1)  e    Vegetables (cups)b   0   0   0   Dark greenc   0   0   0   Red/Orangec   0   0   0   Beans and peas (legumes)c   0   0   0   Starchyc   0   0   0   Otherc,d   0   0   0  Additional Veg to Reach Totale   0   0   0  Grains (oz eq) f   7-­‐10  (1)  j     8-­‐10  (1)  j     9-­‐10  (1)  j    Meats/Meat Alternates (oz eq)   0  k     0  k     0  k    Fluid milk (cups) g   5  (1)   5  (1)   5  (1)  

Other Specifications: Daily Amount Based on the Average for a 5-Day Week  

Min-max calories (kcal)h   350-­‐500   400-­‐550   450-­‐600  Saturated fat (% of total calories)h   <  10   <  10   <  10  

Sodium (mg)h,i   <  430   <  470   <  500  Trans fath   Nutrition label or manufacturer specifications must indicate zero grams of trans fat per serving.  

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Lunch Meal Pattern

Lunch Meal Pattern  

Grades K-5   Grades 6-8   Grades 9-12  

Meal Pattern   Amount of Fooda Per Week (Minimum Per Day)  

Fruits (cups)b   2.5  (0.5)     2.5  (0.5)     5  (1)  Vegetables (cups)b   3.75  (0.75)     3.75  (0.75)     5  (1)   Dark greenc   0.5     0.5     0.5     Red/Orangec   0.75     0.75     1.25     Beans and peas (legumes)c   0.5     0.5     0.5     Starchyc   0.5     0.5     0.5     Otherc,d   0.5     0.5     0.75    Additional Veg to Reach Totale   1   1   1.5    Grains (oz eq) f   8-­‐9  (1)   8-­‐10  (1)   10-­‐12  (2)  Meats/Meat Alternates (oz eq)   8-­‐10  (1)   9-­‐10  (1)   10-­‐12  (2)  Fluid milk (cups) g   5  (1)   5  (1)   5  (1)  

Other Specifications: Daily Amount Based on the Average for a 5-Day Week  

Min-max calories (kcal)h  550-650   600-700   750-850  

Saturated fat (% of total calories)h   < 10   < 10   < 10  

Sodium (mg)h,i   < 640   < 710   < 740  

Trans fath   Nutrition label or manufacturer specifications must indicate zero grams of trans fat per serving.  

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Grains Requirements for the

National School Lunch Program

and School Breakfast Program

Grains Requirements for School Lunch

  Schools must offer the daily and weekly serving ranges of grains

  Minimums and Maximums for the varying grade levels

Lunch Meal Pattern

Grades K-5 Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12

Meal Pattern Amount of Food Per Week (Minimum Per Day)

Grains (oz eq) 8-9 (1) 8-10 (1) 10-12 (2)

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Grain Requirements for School Lunch, contd.

Grain-Based Desserts  Only two (2.0) ounce equivalencies of grain-based

desserts allowed at lunch per school week.

  These items are a major source of solid fats and added sugars per DGA 2010.

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Grains Requirements for School Breakfast

 Daily and weekly serving ranges of grains.

 Maximums and minimums for the varying grade levels.

Breakfast Meal Pattern

GradesK-5 Grades 6-8

Grades 9-12

Meal Pattern Amount of Food Per Week (Minimum Per Day)

Grains (oz eq) 7-10 (1) 8-10 (1) 9-10 (1)

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Equivalent Minimum Serving Sizes Criteria

EXHIBIT A: SCHOOL LUNCH AND BREAKFAST

WHOLE GRAIN-RICH OUNCE

EQUIVALENCY (OZ EQ) REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOL MEAL

PROGRAMS

  Exhibit A: School Lunch and Breakfast contains the equivalent minimum weights for a wide variety of purchased food items to meet the oz eq criteria

  Program operators may use Exhibit A instead of calculating the actual amount of grains in a product since it provides the equivalent minimum weights to provide one oz eq of grains

  Exhibit A provides oz equivalent information for a range of products commonly offered in schools

Minimum Serving Sizes Criteria

  Grain products must be credited using the oz eq method   Baked goods - 16 grams of creditable grain to provide 1 oz eq credit

  Breads   Biscuits   Bagels

  Cereal grains - 28 grams (approximately 1.0 ounce by weight) of dry product, the cooked volume equivalent is ½ cup cooked   Oatmeal   Pasta   Brown rice

  Ready-to-eat cereal - 28 grams OR 1.0 ounce of product is considered an ounce equivalent   1 cup of flakes or rounds   1 ¼ cups puffed cereal   ¼ cup granola

Ounce Equivalent Standards

  School Food Authorities (SFAs) and program operators will be allowed use old guidance and credit grain products based on the current 14.75 grams of grains per serving through SY 2012-2013.

  All grain products must be credited based on per ounce equivalent (oz eq) standards beginning July 1, 2013 as addressed in the Grain Requirements for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program (SP30-2012)

Updated Minimum Serving Sizes Criteria

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Whole Grain-Rich Requirements for School

Lunch and Breakfast

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Whole Grain-Rich Implementation Process

  New rule requires all grains to be whole grain-rich by school year (SY) 2014-2015

  Requirement for whole grain-rich products will be phased in for lunch and breakfast over the next two school years

Whole Grain-Rich Implementation Process

  Lunch:

  July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2014 half of the grains offered during the school week must meet the whole grain-rich criteria

  Beginning July 1, 2014 all grains must meet the whole grain-rich criteria

  Breakfast:

  July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014 (SY 2013-2014) half of the grains offered during the school week must meet the whole grain-rich criteria

  Beginning July 1, 2014 all grains must meet the whole grain-rich criteria

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Whole Grain-Rich Criteria

In accordance with National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program regulations whole grain-rich products must contain:

  100% whole grain

OR

  A blend of whole grain meal and/or flour and enriched meal and/or flour

NOTE: Whole grain-rich products must contain at least 50% whole grains and the remaining grain content must be enriched.

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Simple Checklist to Evaluate Products for Whole-Grain Rich Criteria

  Element 1   The food item must meet the oz eq requirements for

the grains component as defined by new guidance (SP30-2012)

AND

  Element 2   The food must meet at least one of the following

criteria on the next slide

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Simple Checklist to Evaluate Products for Whole-Grain Rich Criteria

  Element 2-

At least one of the following criteria must be met:   2a. Whole grain content per oz eq must be at least 8.0 grams or more for

Groups A-G. The volumes or weights listed must be offered to credit as one oz eq for Groups H and I;

  2b. Product includes Food and Drug Administration–approved whole-grain health claim on its packaging:

  “Diets rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.”

OR   2c. Product ingredient statement lists whole grains first.

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  Ready-to-eat (RTE) breakfast cereals must list a whole grain as the primary ingredient and must be fortified

OR

  If a RTE breakfast cereal is 100% whole grain, there is no requirement for fortification

  Bran and germ ingredients are no longer creditable in school meal programs

  Non-creditable grain ingredients in products at very low levels used as processing aids are allowable at levels less than 2%

Other Grain Requirements

  Manufacturers may apply for a Child Nutrition (CN) Label for qualifying products (meat/meat alternate entrées containing grains) to indicate the number of oz eq grains that meet the whole grain-rich criteria.

  The term “oz eq grains” on the CN Label indicates the product meets the whole grain-rich criteria

  The terms “bread” or “bread alternate” on the CN Label indicates the product meets previous requirements for grains/breads

  Please refer to the CN Labeling Program website for details regarding qualifying products at: www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/cnlabeling

Child Nutrition Labels

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Nutrition Standards Webpage

Nutrition Standards for School Meals

www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/legislation/nutritionstandards.htm

School nutrition improvements are an investment in our children’s future

Conclusion

Recipes for Healthy Kids Competition USDA launched in September 2010 in support of

First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative in collaboration with the American Culinary Federation and

School Nutrition Association.

Teams of students (grades 4 to 12), school nutrition professionals, chefs, parents, and other interested community

members were challenged to partner and create tasty and healthy new recipes that schools can easily incorporate into

National School Lunch Program menus.

Team Nutrition Releases "Recipes for Healthy Kids Cookbook for Schools"

  Thirty kid-approved recipes from the R4HK competition were standardized and credited to support the whole grain-rich, red/orange, dark green, and beans/peas (legumes) vegetable subgroups for the meal patterns as part of the Nutrition Standards in School Meal Programs.

The cookbooks and recipes are available on the Team Nutrition Web site at

www.teamnutrition.usda.gov. The cookbooks should be published by the end of 2012

Q&A’s